The Man Who Killed the Deer by Frank Waters - Native American Novel, Southwest Literature, Spiritual Fiction | Perfect for Book Clubs, Literature Studies & Southwest Culture Enthusiasts

Present day Indian questions, complicated by the good and bad in the treatment of the Indians, by their rituals, by conflict between the old and the new, provide motivating force for this thoughtful novel. Martiniano, an Indian of the Southwest, has been to "away" school and resists returning to the blanket, refusing to follow the traditions of his pueblo. He kills a deer and gets into trouble with the authorities, so that he is haunted by fear of ill luck touching his personal life. But good luck comes with the birth of a boy child, and Martiniano at last accepts his place as an Indian. This is not only his story, but the story of his pueblo, with its desire to maintain its integrity, to regain Dawn Lake, to unravel the troubles fomented through official lags in treating with the chiefs. Well done. (Kirkus Reviews)The story of Martiniano, the man who killed the deer, is a timeless story of Pueblo Indian sin and redemption, and of the conflict between Indian and white laws; written with a poetically charged beauty of style, a purity of conception, and a thorough understanding of Indian values. (amazon.com)